Bartomeu Marí named Executive Director of Museo de Arte de Lima

by Kate Lau

On June 28, Museo de Arte de Lima announced that BARTOMEUMARÍ will be its new executive director. Photo by Yonhap News Ryou.

Bartomeu Marí has been appointed as the new executive director of Peru’s Museo de Arte de Lima (MALI). Marí will assume his new position at the beginning of this month, replacing Natalia Majluf, who departed the post in September 2018.

On his new position, Marí states that “this opportunity represents a fabulous challenge as well as a great possibility of contributing my skills to a leading institution in America. The breadth and richness of MALI collections, its team and its potential will allow us to produce unique discourses and diverse narratives on history to understand the present and imagine the future, from Peruvian art, to the whole world.”

The president of the Museo de Arte de Lima, Juan Carlos Verme, references Marí’s long career in directing art institutions and curating exhibitions: “The extensive experience and active participation of Bartomeu in organisations and projects throughout the world will strengthen the capabilities and reach of MALI’s experienced team.”

Marí was formerly director of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea (MMCA) from 2015 until 2018. He announced his surprise departure from the South Korean institution a day after the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (the museum’s founding organization) revealed their decision to issue an open call for Marí’s succesor. In an interview for The Korea Heraldin 2018, Marí maintained that his three-year tenure as MMCA’s director was limited by state regulations, which he likened to “lead in the wings.”

Prior to that role, the museum veteran was director of the Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona (MACBA) from 2008 to 2015. He resigned amid a censorship row that led to the cancellation of an exhibition by Austrian artist Ines Doujak. He was also director of Witte de With Centre of Contemporary Art in Rotterdam, Holland, from 1996 to 2001, and curator of exhibitions at Institut Valencià d’Art Modern in Valencia, Spain, from 1994 to 1995.